I never expected my sobriety to be an issue at my child’s preschool fundraisers At the first meeting for families at the co-op nursery school we have carefully chosen for our daughter, the food spread includes hummus, a farro salad and mac and cheese. In the coolers are flavored seltzers, cans of beer and bottles […]

It’s a bit of a climb from the Old Port, but once you reach the Mountain Room you don’t have to worry about parking. Harding Lee Smith’s newest kitchen has killer views and hearty nosh prepared at 2,100 feet. Open for a month at Sunday River’s mid-mountain North Peak Lodge, the fifth restaurant by the […]

Produced by Maine Poetry Central and Dennis Camire This week’s poem by Michalene Hague of Otisfield playfully explores how the challenging weather of Maine often, in turn, challenges us to dress fashionably.   Yankee Wardrobe By Michalene Hague   Gloves on in October are gloves off in April; our hands say it’s due to steering […]

Focus, repetition works like meditation for some When I think of meditation, I picture an image of serenity — a wide-open room, a person sitting cross-legged on a mat, eyes closed and mind relaxed. Meditation, to me, conjures up peacefulness, calmness, quietness and stillness. Which is why the sight of bulging biceps, dripping sweat and […]

Spices and herbs add delicious variety to the foods we eat. But spices and herbs are much more than flavor enhancers — they are nutritional powerhouses. After all, spices and herbs come from plants, which means they are sources of plant phytonutrients. Many phytonutrients have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or even anti-cancer properties, and in the case […]

I met the Optimist Club for the first time a couple weeks ago when I covered an evening sledding event at Lost Valley Ski Area in Auburn. The optimists were the men and women whipping up s’mores over a raging bonfire and serving them to the kids. What’s not to like? The Optimists at Lost […]